Two sides separated by just one place and two points in the bottom half of the Ligue 1 table face off at the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps on Sunday afternoon as Auxerre play host to Nantes.
Christophe Pelissier's outfit cruised to a 3-0 win over Ajaccio last weekend, while their visitors impressively held Champions League-chasing Monaco to a 2-2 draw.
Match preview
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Putting the game to bed with just six minutes gone at the Stade Francois-Coty, the clash between two newly-promoted sides in Auxerre and Ajaccio ended in a resounding win for Pelissier's charges, who surged into a two-goal lead early doors thanks to Birama Toure's sweet strike and Nuno Da Costa's smart header.
Seconds before the half-time whistle was sounded, Ajaccio's day went from bad to worse as Mickael Alphonse directed Gaetan Perrin's cross into his own net, and there would be no miraculous comeback from the dead-and-buried hosts in the second 45.
Now boasting back-to-back wins and back-to-back clean sheets after also getting the better of Troyes earlier this month, Auxerre are on the right path to assuring their Ligue 1 status, occupying 15th place in the rankings with eight games left to play, albeit while holding just a three-point lead over the four-team drop zone.
Finding a resilient streak at a pivotal point in the season, Auxerre have now suffered just one defeat from their last nine top-flight encounters, but not since April 2010 have AJA embarked on a three-game winning run in Ligue 1 - an unlucky 13-year spell without such success.
A four-match unbeaten run on home soil also stands Auxerre in good stead - as does the fact that they have shipped just one goal in their last 360 minutes of Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps football - and every ounce of their defensive mastery must be harnessed against the Coupe de France holders.
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Success over Lyon in the semi-finals of France's premier cup competition could not spur Nantes on to end their lengthy winless streak in the top flight, but coming back from two goals down to hold Monaco to a point apiece was a victory in itself.
Antoine Kombouare's men fell behind thanks to a pair of unlikely scorers - centre-back Axel Disasi lashed home a half-volley before the ball struck Eliot Matazo's side from a corner and trickled over the line - but Monaco's own shortcomings at defending crosses proved fatal, as Mostafa Mohamed and Ludovic Blas both headed home to peg Les Monegasques' back.
Les Canaris' ardent fans can be forgiven for having one eye on next month's Coupe de France final with Toulouse as Nantes seek back-to-back triumphs in the competition, but Kombouare's side are not quite out of the relegation picture just yet, languishing in 14th place and five clear of the dotted line.
There has been little for Nantes to cheer in the top flight amid another magnificent cup run, as Les Canaris are now winless in seven Ligue 1 fixtures - drawing three of their last four - and they have just two away wins to their name all season long.
A Marcus Coco strike saw Nantes enter 2023 with a 1-0 win over Auxerre on New Year's Day, and AJA have just one victory to boast from their last six against Les Canaris - a pulsating 4-3 triumph in the 2017-18 Coupe de France, where current Nantes man Nicolas Pallois was on the scoresheet for this weekend's hosts.
Team News
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Auxerre came through their victory over Ajaccio without any fresh injury or suspension concerns to report, and there was a notable return for centre-back Theo Pellenard, who came off the bench for his first appearance of the season after recovering from an ACL tear.
Gideon Mensah and Elisha Owusu are dealing with knee and Achilles problems respectively, while Marseille loanee Isaak Toure missed last weekend's triumph with a muscular concern and may take his place on the sidelines here too.
In any case, Pelissier should see little reason to make any changes to last weekend's starting XI, as Da Costa fends off the threat of Matthis Abline and M'Baye Niang to lead the line once more.
Regarding Nantes, Pallois could be back from an ankle injury in time to face his former club - the same can be said for Joao Victor (illness) - but Pedro Chirivella has announced that he will not play again this season due to a groin injury.
Goalkeeper Remy Descamps is also sidelined with a similar issue, but captain Alban Lafont is untouchable in the Canaris goal, and Jaouen Hadjam controversially remains exiled from the squad for the time being.
The 20-year-old is not being considered for selection by Kombouare, having refused to break his fast during Ramadan - which ends on April 21 - so a comeback against Troyes on April 23 is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Radu; Raveloson, Jubal, Jeanvier; Zedadka, Toure, M'Changama, Boto; Perrin, Hein; Da Costa
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Centonze, Girotto, Castelletto, Corchia; Sissoko, Moutoussamy; Guessand, Blas, Simon; Mohamed
We say: Auxerre 1-1 Nantes
A Nantes side who seldom travel well in Ligue 1 should experience an uncomfortable afternoon against a steadfast Auxerre defence, especially with so much still to play for, for both outfits.
If last weekend is anything to go by, set-pieces could be Nantes' golden ticket and Achilles heel at the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, where a closely-contested stalemate could be on the cards.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
